


No Heroes, Villains, One to Blame

by ChiaRoseKuro



Series: A World of One's Own [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Drabble, F/M, M/M, Prompt Fic, Songfic, Unreliable Narrator, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 09:48:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14102769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChiaRoseKuro/pseuds/ChiaRoseKuro
Summary: Nobody looks beyond the papers, the facts laid bare in black and white. Reduced to empty words and emptier figures, observations and statistics instead of a sentient organic being, Team Seven is nothing more than a curiosity at best and a nonentity at worst. With Sasuke this and Naruto that, there is no room for a girl with a forehead several sizes too large and laughably pink hair.No amount of studying and striving will ever change that, it seems.(because heartbreak, unlike Sakura, does not come small and easily ignored)





	No Heroes, Villains, One to Blame

**Author's Note:**

> There's mentions of dehumanization and bullying, but the most troubling elements of the story are all implied and never explicitly stated. If you're not a fan of reading between the lines, sad endings and the ugliness of humanity, you're best off pressing the 'back' button now. But if you don't object and you're adamant on reading this anyway... well, at least you've been warned.
> 
> Special thanks to Kygo's and Parson James' _Stole the Show_ for inspiring me through the two hours I needed to (re)write this, the prompt 'she doesn't understand you like I do' for encouraging me towards angst and _almost_ appearing as a direct quote and a good, long shower for changing the entire tone of this fic. There was originally less angst and unrequited love, but... you get what you can, I guess.

* * *

 

Genin teams are not a state secret and the names make rounds everywhere. There’s Team Ten’s Ino-Shika-Cho for sheer solid dependability, Team Eight’s Inuzuka-Hyuuga-Aburame as promising upstarts, being heirs from good shinobi bloodlines—and then there’s Team Seven.

_The avenger,_ people whisper behind Sasuke’s back when he strides into the empty Uchiha compound. _The demon brat,_ others hiss when Naruto’s nearby, now that he knows what lurks beneath his skin and nobody is bound by the rules regarding his identity. _The fangirl,_ they titter at Sakura as she turns besotted eyes to one teammate while beating the other into the ground.

How easy is it for everyone to look at one but dismiss the other two? How easy is it for everyone to loathe one by coddling the other two?

And how much worse is it to be nothing when you’re alone, existing in the grey of indifference?

Nobody looks beyond the papers, the facts laid bare in black and white. Reduced to empty words and emptier figures, observations and statistics instead of a sentient organic being, Team Seven is nothing more than a curiosity at best and a nonentity at worst. With Sasuke this and Naruto that, there is no room for a girl with a forehead several sizes too large and laughably pink hair.

No amount of studying and striving will ever change that, it seems.

(and in another world, it doesn’t, because in another world they fall to pieces)

(but in this one—in _this_ one—)  
  


* * *

  
“You can’t—you can’t just treat Sakura-chan like that!”

It’s muffled, would’ve been completely missed by Sakura if she hadn’t paused to check her mother’s shopping list, but she hears the annoyingly loud voice all the same. Naruto’s always yelling about her in one way or another, trying to get her on dates she doesn’t _want_ and isn’t _interested in_ , but she can’t brush him aside because he’s her teammate. Oh, she’ll work with him because they’re in the same team and she _needs to_ , but outside of it?

She’s just about made up her mind when there’s an audible _tch_ and that—that’s _Sasuke_.

Before she knows it, Sakura’s masking her chakra as best as she can and edging over to a narrow alley.

Naruto’s hands are clenched until the knuckles are bloodless and white, but Sasuke’s hands hang open and easy by his side. It’s not an uncommon occurrence for Team Seven—Sasuke’s always been better, so of _course_ Naruto has to take offence and try one-up him—and Sakura’s usually the one to step in and diffuse the situation, when they’re doing missions.

Here, though…

“She’s not just some _stepping stone_ , you damn bastard!” There’s none of Naruto’s cheeriness in his voice—and are those whisker marks on his cheeks deepening as he snarls?—but Sasuke only tilts his head when Naruto hisses, “So you—take that back _right now_ —”

“Or you’ll _what_ , dead last?” Sasuke replies, confident and assured. “Get her to hit me? I’m so _scared_.”

Sakura frowns at that, free hand absentmindedly curling into itself, but then Naruto’s yelling, “At least she _cares_ enough about your stupid, sorry ass not to hit you!”

And—Naruto’s chest is heaving and his upper lip is curled back to show his teeth, but all Sakura can see is the terrible wetness in his eyes. Even Sasuke pauses, mouth thinning as Naruto digs nails into his palms and scrubs his forearm against his face.

“Is that what it is?” Sasuke asks after a long, long moment, and to anyone else his tone might be bland. “Fawning all over me because I’m the last Uchiha alive—that’s caring?”

“Better than _hitting you over the head repeatedly_ ,” Naruto growls, voice thick and raspy. “People _care_ about you and you—”

“No, they don’t.”

Sasuke’s hands are curled into fists by his side and he says in that horrible matter-of-factly tone, “They don’t want me, Naruto. They’ve never wanted just _me_ , but you…”

Sakura should move forward, she knows. She should hug Sasuke, apologize to Naruto, get them to stop fighting—she should run home right this instant before her mother scolds her for being late—

But.

“Don’t you get it?” Sasuke asks, gentle and slow—the first time Sakura’s ever knew he was capable of such emotion, let alone hearing it for herself. “Look at me, Naruto.”

And with those words, said in that particular voice—who could resist?

In the moment before Sasuke leans forward and Sakura realizes what he’s about to do, there’s just a flicker in his eye. She’ll forget it later, tucked beneath her bedsheets and shivering so hard that the frame shakes with her, but right now…

There’s no distance between them at all. For all that she’s barely five steps away from them, there is a gulf spanning the width of her heart, and in the face of that—what can she do?

What else can she do but look on, forever on the sidelines?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(in this one, there is no Naruto and Sasuke and Sakura)

(there is only Naruto and Sasuke, and Sakura…)

**Author's Note:**

> If it wasn't obvious from the fic: _all_ relationships are unrequited (which is to say Sasuke likes Naruto, Naruto likes Sakura and Sakura likes Sasuke, because I'm evil that way).
> 
> For further author notes and other things related to this fic or series, feel free to check out my [blog](https://chiarosekuro.wordpress.com/). I've got other writing stuff on there as well, if that piques your interest, but you're best checking out 'No Heroes, Villains, One to Blame' or 'A World of One's Own' if you want this fic/series specifically.


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